For most leaders, the month of December seems to fly by in a flurry of finishing up projects, planning ahead for being out of the office over the holidays, and envisioning how to start the new year off on a strong footing.

Whether it’s keeping on an extra 20 lbs., tolerating a bad relationship, or putting up with a soul-sucking job, chances are that you have been stuck in a rut at some point in your life, without a clear idea how to get out of it.